Someone once told me to wait until your baby is born before you reveal their name; if you tell people ahead of time, you're opening yourself up to needless scrutiny and potential in-law negotiating. Once the papers are filed, it's done.
I always thought that people who didn't want to share their baby names had picked something wacky - like Apple. I realize that some people believe by keeping names secret, they're protecting their choice. I think by revealing your picks, you're actually calling 'dibs'. I don't believe that you can call 'dibs' years ahead though, you can't call a name before you're pregnant.
Lately, I've been hearing about name stealers. Stealing even odd names complete with their odd spelling when their baby was born first. That's not cool. When can you legitimately feel like you own a name? You can't. But you can be upset if your sister or someone related by blood uses the same name within 3-5 years. Otherwise, it's unlikely that two kids will go to the same school or run in the same circles. And if they do, having the same name is not the end of the world.
Something I find really annoying is the people who think they own a name and are perfectly willing to fight you over it. For example, I named my first born Melissa so you can't use Larisa or Alyssa because it's too close.
I understand that we get really worked up about names because names are so important but that's why you choose back-up names. A baby name, like a teenage boyfriend, is not worth losing your girlfriend over.
Babynames.com just released their list of 'The Best and Worst Celebrity Baby Names'. Harlow is the top girl's name and Caleb tops the boys list.
Posts
I think it's highly unlikely that anyone would want any names that I might come up with.
ReplyDeleteThis is kinda funny on a couple of fronts. It reminds me of the situation we went through when my sister "C" was pregnant (names withheld to protect the innocent!). She told us a few months in advance what her name choices were. As it turned out, her girl choice was the same as my sister "M"s first choice for a girl, and C`s choice if it turned out to be a boy was the same as MY first choice for a boy. We had never discussed this before and the names have no significance in our family. It was pure coincidence. As it turns out, the baby was a boy and so now I have to come up with a new name for my yet-to-be-born son.
ReplyDeleteThe boy`s name? Caleb.
(My sister and I discussed it and we both believe we were drawn to the name thanks to a secondary character on As The World Turns, back in the late 80s - how random is that? And now it`s apparently this uber-popular name...My sister was quite discouraged to discover that. The new leading contender for my son`s name? Oliver, I think. None of you commenters better steal it! :P ...Either that or Mango.)
Phil - I don't believe you'd use Mango.... but you should know that Oliver is very popular.
ReplyDelete